Dr. Sarah Jane Glynn, an expert in employment, work, and family issues at the Center for American Progress, says that we if we started talking about the reality of the minimum wage, we could solve the problem and get to consensus as a country a lot faster.
Recent polling indicates that an overwhelming number of Americans, close to 75%, support the protests, inspired by George Floyd’s murder, against racism and police brutality. This approval, polls reveal, stretches across party lines and racial lines. The polls, of course, don’t reveal in any precise way the psychological dynamics at work in the American mentality…
We hear these days about the importance of the African American vote within the Democratic base, and rightly so. This base has played a key role in the Democratic primaries and, according to all indications, will play a key role in determining the Democratic presidential candidate. Democratic candidates would also be wise as well as…
When Josh Jacobs was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, he received a signing bonus of $6.7 million. The story of the star running back from the University of Alabama quickly circulated, featured in the headlines in major media outlets such as USA Today, NBC News, ESPN,…
What is the story of the U.S. economy? Not unlike the proverbial elephant subject to scrutiny by a band of blind men, the nation’s economy is subject to multiple narrative descriptions depending on which component of the beast, whether our economy or an elephant, the blind man massages. Some media pundits have argued that the…
Trump’s controversial tweet about sending the squad of four— Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar—back to where they came from has certainly captured the media’s attention the past week, recycling seemingly endless and pointless debate about whether or not Trump is a racist Don’t we have bigger issues of racism to…
“We have the ability to help people who truly need it the most. We have the ability to make a decision today that will save lives — potentially thousands.
“It’s the first time a state nullified local wage ordinances already in effect and forced [local] jurisdictions to [immediately] reduce minimum wages that were previously raised.”
With each announcement the shock and trauma of what’s happening to this country, the civil rights of its citizens, and future of the free press is felt all over again.
The election results will the story of the hopes and dreams this country has for its future.
Our values, national identity and enduring power of the Constitution, even democracy itself are in question; it is a frightening aberration.
“With all of our country’s resources, no child…should ever go to sleep hungry or without a place to call home. We have to do better.”
Clinton promises to be a champion for education by not taking advice from people interested in breaking unions and privatizing schools.
While Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is talking about poverty while attempting to slash programs for the poor, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton will be speaking about the real issues that are confronting the poor during a two-day driving tour of Appalachia.
Attorney General Lynch demands a halt to criminalizing homelessness for profit.
Reagan ushered in the first step of fascism, economic stagnation, when his extremist trickle down economic theory was imposed on the nation
The percentage of middle-class households dropped in every state in the Union between 2000 and 2013, along with median income
“The two Democratic presidents have produced jobs at 7 times the rate of the two Bushes or 2.1 million versus 300,000 per year.”
According to pediatricians, doctors should start screening their child patients for hunger, and the lesser-known problem of food insecurity
The Obama White House this week took steps to force communities to halt the “cruel, inhumane, and degrading” treatment of the homeless
The only regard Charles or David Koch have for the poor is keeping them in poverty and subjugated to the rich at any cost
It is likely that Walker’s idea that poverty wages are living wages came directly from the Kochs, who see American workers as peasants
Fox News responded to being called out by President Obama by suggesting that poverty would be solved if African-Americans would stop being lazy and go get jobs.
While taking part in a discussion on overcoming poverty, President Obama exposed the empty language that Republicans are using to pretend that they care about the poor.
In a conscientious city like San Francisco, water conservation measures are taken very seriously by businesses and residents alike; except for the San Francisco Archdiocese led by embattled Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. The latest outrage, and it is a monumental outrage on humanitarian and water conservation terms, against the Archdiocese is the harshest criticism for installing a watering system to drench the homeless to prevent them from sleeping in doorways around the sanctuary at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Instead of changing course and helping the majority of the population, Republicans still propose heaping wealth on the rich and increasing taxes on the bottom 90% of the population to complete the utter destruction of middle income earners. According to yet another report they are succeeding beyond their wildest dreams.
Instead of any real measures or support to address the crushing income disparity between the 1% and the rest of the population, Republicans are proposing harsher measures to shift more wealth to the rich at the expense of those who need it most; families with children.
In fact, Francis is closely aligned with conservative Republican ideology; particularly in his position on addressing poverty and social issues such as homosexuality, same-sex marriage, birth control, and women’s rights.
In fact, there is absolutely nothing whatsoever that Republicans represent that Dr. King would even tepidly support, and in fact he would be leading the fight against everything conservatives stand for; whether they are social, racial, or economic policies.
If, as privatization “reformers” in Republican, corporate, and Obama Education Department claim that America’s public schools are dire failures, then America’s wealthy public schools with unionized teachers, and tenure, would be failing and not at the “top of the international charts.”
Perry’s message is clear; there is no reason to address poverty, income inequality, or make any effort to help those suffering, and people in Texas are suffering, but not because it is written in scripture.
Obviously many Americans do have myriad reasons to be thankful they live in an extremely wealthy and semi-free nation such as the United States, but there are tens-of-millions who are likely only thankful they are able to survive an increasingly hostile corporate oligarchy and inhumane Republican party.
Coupled with inhumane austerity cuts, the GOP is getting precisely what they apparently live for; more despair and destitution among the poor, especially children.
40% of America’s wealth is not enough for the Walton’s or their investors so Walmart took steps to increase their riches by taking more from their horribly underpaid workforce and subsequently American taxpayers; particularly those living in “Blue” states who will have to take up the slack.
Neglecting the conditions and healthcare of the poor has contributed to drug-resistant microbes which have reached crisis proportions.
Chalk this one up as another GOP fail. A HuffPost/YouGov poll has found that only 28% of Americans agree with the Republican people that poor people lack work ethic.
For Speaker of the House John Boehner, it is the prospect of the government attempting to improve the economic situation of underpaid workers that drives him to consider suicide.
As long as the wealthy continue benefitting from the President’s economic recovery, Republicans will stay the austerity course that continues retarding growth despite one 4th quarter report that GDP ticked up to 3 percent.
Today it is President Obama fighting Republicans to give all Americans the opportunities Dr. King sought for people of color, and besides not acknowledging income inequality even exists, Republicans are redoubling their advocacy of Reagan policies.
Republicans on pace to kill hundreds and hundreds-of-thousands of jobs, send millions of Americans and their children into poverty, and lay waste to the economy; then they are going on vacation.
An implicit goal of the War on Poverty was to make the US a true meritocracy, and in this sense, it missed its target.
The snide satisfaction conservatives gloat in their declaration that the War on Poverty failed is apropos given how they sabotaged it
Rubio, as an anti-poverty crusader, is nearly as hysterical as Reagan, and so was his contention that opposite sex marriage is the solution to poverty.
The media is not about to damage Republicans’ electoral chances by telling Americans the real reason why they are in poverty, not finding good jobs, and losing their unemployment benefits.
As tragic as the number of Americans freezing to death is, it is the number of Americans who are homeless that should shame politicians, but Republicans are incapable of being shamed.
A panel of economists has joined President Obama, and struggling Americans to assert categorically that income inequality is crushing the life out of the population, and holding back the economy.
While the wealthiest 1% of Americans’ fortunes increase dramatically, millions of Americans are going hungry and Republicans plan to make the hunger crisis much worse.
Republicans who are wont to claim they speak for all Americans say the people oppose higher wages, but if the minimum wage kept pace with the top 1%, it would be $22.62 an hour.
Every time Republicans decry President Obama’s economic policies as Marxist, socialist, or communist, they are in effect condemning the Pope, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, and Jesus Christ.
Liberals can take a moment to pat themselves on the back. There are poor people everywhere who are grateful for their help. Here’s my thanks.
People should not work full-time for wages that put them below the poverty line, but it is all too common. Now, they’re taking a stand.
Because McDonalds’ “sample budget” only left $27 a month for food, the company advised hungry employees to “break food into pieces” to feel full, and better fill the void in their empty stomachs.
If you are an American who is not in the richest one percent, Republicans are in a blind rage to decimate the economic life out of you.
The House’s SNAP vote was cold, callous, and calculated by a Republican Party that hopes to ruin Barack Obama’s presidency by any means necessary.
Market-based educational reform is an utter failure, and yet we still can’t shake the nasty remnants of its bad policy influence
Rep. Paul Ryan claimed that Obama’s policies are the reason why people in poverty are poor. Ryan tried to convince the poor to blame Obama, not Republicans for their struggles.
Fast food giant McDonalds teamed with Visa to provide them with a budget plan Republicans celebrated as justification for their drive to create a nation of peasants
One might be inclined to believe politicians would be repulsed that the richest nation in the history of the world is home to an impoverished underclass, but for Republicans it is a badge of honor
Charles Koch has joined Republicans pushing to eliminate the nation’s minimum wage. He implied that getting rid of minimum wage laws was the ultimate secret to lifting Americans out of poverty.
A rash of other, mostly poor Republican-controlled, Southern states are falling deeper into poverty and the greatest amount of their policies’ damage is affecting children.
Some people became upset with Obama’s “Racism is no longer an excuse” speech. Perhaps people gripped by poverty were what made them wince.
House Republicans have a ten year plan to eliminate food assistance for 13 million more hungry working Americans and seniors in their version of common sense cuts.
Republicans are actively pursuing policies that target and punish the poor, or purposely keep them downtrodden as a punitive measure for being poor, and it characterizes the GOP across the nation.
Republicans in Congress and statehouses have made every attempt to create a permanent underclass living in poverty, and they are unfazed at the devastation they are creating for children
The Republican class war has, for well over a decade, contributed greatly to income inequality that hastens America’s rush to oligarchy, and the primary driver is trickle down tax cuts.
One woman’s tragic story provides a glimpse into the plethora of problems the U.S. faces with a lack of affordable housing and homelessness
No matter how much they try to blame sequestration on Obama and the Democrats, Republicans set it up, and the victims will be the poor.
Critics have been saying President Obama has not done enough to address poverty. They don’t seem to understand the reasons he couldn’t.
How stupid do Republicans think Americans are? You can not blame President Obama for rising poverty, that is just stupid. Let me tell you why.
The war on public transportation is in full swing, like the war on all things public waged by the right. Like so many of their offensives, the motivations include racism and hatred toward the poor.
Now that the Supreme Court ruled the Affordable Care Act constitutional, right wing so-called Christians are out in force promising to help Republicans repeal the law .
Republicans are not waging civil war, but a civil massacre where Depression-era bread lines are the order of the day and entire families barely survive.
There is something wrong with Republicans who have become cold and heartless to advocate for more entitlements for the wealthy while the poorest of the poor are going to bed hungry.
By attacking poverty programs in a time of economic hardship, Republicans have proven how little human suffering accounts in their political equations.
Republicans are twisted if courage means bullying hungry children into poverty and eliminating seniors’ healthcare, and they tremble at the notion of offending the rich and powerful.
Republicans scammed the Catholic Bishops on birth control, and now they are ignoring the same Bishops’ pleas that programs that aid the poor not be cut.
Better Georgia is helping voters send a simple, direct message to Gov. Nathan Deal and his Republican allies who are pushing a drug testing mandate, “You pee first.”
What Mitt Romney recently said about the rich and poor shows that he has no clue about the country. Here is how America really looks.
It is sad to admit, but Dr. King’s lofty dream will never become reality as long as Republicans oppose equality for all Americans.
In 2011, the Republican Party was a humiliation for Americans who have even the slightest hint of humanity